Luminous flame furnace



Oct. 13, 1942. P. K. RICHARDSON LUMINOUS FLAME FURNACE Filed June 2'7, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 lNVENTOR FfluZ/Ti Ifzdwnisan ATTOR Oct. 13, 1 942. P. K. RICHARDSON 7 12,293,842

, LUMINOUS FLAME FURNACE Filed June 27, 19:9 V 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY v Patented on. 13. 1942 LUMINOUS mm mil ion rm 1:. Richardson, sea Lake "City, Utah, as-

, signor to American smelting and Refining Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application June 21, 1939; Serial n 281,342

comm.

This invention relates to the construction and operation of gas-fired furnaces.

Among other features, theinvention provides an improved burner arrangement through the use of which luminous flame temperatures in excess of 2500" F. are readily attained using natural gas as the sourceof fuel.

Although the novel features which are believed to be characteristic of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto, the invention itself, as to its objects and advantages, and the manner in which it may be carried out, may be better understood by referring to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, in which Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a metallurgical furnace of the reverberatory type provided at its firing end with the novel burner arrangement of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view taken along the line 22 of Fig. 1: andfrom pipe 3L Inasmuch as the hot gases enter-1 ing the chamber it from the ignition chamber ll are non-oxidizing, there is effected a cracking of the raw natural gas introduced by duct and the resulting mixture passes. from the chamber it through the passageway l8 into the path of the gases from the premix burners 38 thereby yielding a highly calorific gas with suflicient free carbon to impart a high degree of luminosity to the flame entering the'furnace through throat 20. Carbon deposits or accumulations in the cracking chamber I6 are readily removed simply by closing 1 valve 36 and opening air valve 34 for a few min- Fig. 3 is an end view of the same furnace at its firing end showing the burner arrangement.

Like reference characters denote like parts in the several figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings 1 indicates areverberatory furnace of the type commonly employed in dross and-copper smelting operations, the firing end only being shown as the remainder of the furnace may be of any standard construction. Adjacent'the firing end of the furnace proper and substantially integral therewith is the firing structure and system designated generally by l2 and'comprising an ignition chamber ",8.

cracking chamber l6 and passageway lil leadingfrom the chamber Hi to the firing throat 20.

An arch 22 with checkered passageways 24 seputes.

. It will be apparent that the present invention provides definite advantages. Thus, by cracking a portion of the primary fuel to produce the luminous flame without the use of preheated air which makes for imperfect cracking and gas dilution, the ultimate gaseous mixture is of high calorific value and results in high emissivity and high flame temperature being readily attained with low furnace volume. Further, the construc-.

tion of the cracking chamber and all cooperating parts as a compact and substantially integral part of the furnace proper not only conserves space*but reduces radiation and infiltration losses. as well as maintenance costs, to a minimum.

While various specific disclosures have been made for illustrative purposes, it will be, underarates the chambers l4 and I6 and permits gas flow from the former into the latter. Chamber I4 is provided with a heating burner 26 and chamber I6 is equipp d with a duct 28 branching into air pipe 30 and raw gas pipe 32. These pipes are provided with valves 34 and 36, respectively. A main air pipe and natural gas pipe 42 supply the fuel mixture for the pair of premix burners 38 which are directed toward the throat 20 of the furnace.

In operating the furnace, a mixture of natural gas and air which will yield a neutral flame upon combustion is supplied toburner 25. The' resulting hot gases pass upwardly from theignition chamber l4 through the openings 24 in arch 22 into the cracking chamber l6 into which also flows raw. natural gas supplied by the ductv 28 stood that various modifications, substitutions and changes are embraced by the invention which is defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is: p

1. L'he process for firing a furnace with a highly luminous flame which comprises burning natural gas to produce substantially neutral, hot combustion gases, introducing raw natural gas into said combustion gases to effect cracking of the raw gas, conducting the resulting mixture into the path of a main mixture of natural and combustion-supporting gases to form a final-fuel mixture, and introducing the latter into the heating chamber of the furnace thereby producing a high tcmperature,'luminous flame therein.

2 The process for operating a furnace of the reverberatory type which comprises firing-the furnace with a first mixture of natural gas and air directed into the main furnace chamber containing the material to be heated, burning a sec- I ond mixture of natural gas and air in a chamber separate from the main furnace chamber to produce hot, substantially neutral combustion gases,

conducting said combustion gases to and into the path of said first gas mixture, and introducing raw natural gasinto said combustion gases prior to their intermixing with said first mixture of natural gas and air in order to crack said raw natural gas, whereby a highly luminous flame is produced in the main furnace chamber.

v3. The combination with a gas-fired furnace having a firing throat and burner means for supplying a combustible gas-air mixture to said throat,'ofan auxiliary chamber at the firing end of said furnace and positioned below said firing and means for introducing raw natural gas into said cracking compartment.

PAUL K. RICHARDSON. 

